SQL conversion of MEMO field

Question

I have a web site that builds pages based on content in an
Access DB. One of the fields is MEMO and contains body copy for the
page (usually 300-400 words per record). This bodyCopy field is
HTML tagged IN the record (in case that matters). So I import the
whole database into SQL. Fine. The pages display ok - All the data
in the bodyCopy field is STILL in there, I can see it on the
webpages. BUT, I cannot see, or edit the cells in SQL Enterprise
manager. If I add a new record similar bodyCopy pastes are
truncated. SQL converted the MEMO field to ntext(16). I have tried
text(16) and nvarchar(8000) with the same results. I need to be
able to edit the existing cells, and input similarly sized data
chunks in with new records...
Can anyone shed some light on this issue?

Answer 1

SQL is a bit different in managing the data directly than
Access was.
ntext should be fine for any previous memo fields.
If it tells you that you cannot edit the cells, it is usually
because the Key has not been defined. Importing from Access will
bring in all your data, but it won't necessarilly apply the Key
identifier. Without a key it won't let the data be edited, at least
not directly.
If it is showing up in the web page OK then the data would
not appear to be truncated, just not all viewable in the SQl
listing. If you try to enter too much data into a field in SQL it
usually will simply refuse to do it.
Have ou tried connecting to the SQL server via Access (ADP)?
If you have been used to Access all this time, it can be a really
nice way of working between the two and gives you a familiar way of
doing things.